Will Rogers Highway Main Street of America | ||||
Route 66 highlighted in red | ||||
Route information | ||||
Maintained by IDOT | ||||
Length | 301 mi (484 km) | |||
Existed | November 11, 1926[1] | –June 25, 1974|||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | ![]() | |||
East end | ![]() | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Illinois | |||
Highway system | ||||
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U.S. Route 66 (US 66, Route 66) was a United States Numbered Highway in Illinois that connected St. Louis, Missouri, and Chicago, Illinois. The historic Route 66, the Mother Road or Main Street of America, took long distance automobile travelers from Chicago to Southern California. The highway had previously been Illinois Route 4 (IL 4) and the road has now been largely replaced with Interstate 55 (I-55). Parts of the road still carry traffic and six separate portions of the roadbed have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.